Government Unit 4

Individualism

Self reliance and focus on the individual not the collective

equality of opportunity

the idea that each person is guaranteed the same chance to succeed in life

free enterprise

a type of economy in which people are free to buy, sell, and produce whatever they want

Rule of Law

No one is above the law

political ideology

set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government

party identification

loyalty of people to a political party

political socialization

The process by which we develop our political beliefs by socializing with others.

generational influence

Political beliefs of those who come of age together.

Period Effects

major events and social trends that affect the political attitudes of the entire population

lifecycle effects

changes over the course of an individual's lifetime, which affect their political attitudes. e.g. Getting Married

benchmark poll

a survey taken at the beginning of a political campaign

entrance/exit polls

conducted outside of polling places on Election Day to predict the outcome of an election.

focus group

A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion. Most important for getting an accurate survey.

sample size

the number of individuals in a sample

margin of error

the range of percentage points in which the sample accurately reflects the population. Also called Sampling Error, +/-, MoE.

Neutral language

Language with little or no emotional tone. important for political polling to be unbiased

Democrats

Social Policy is more focused on privacy and equality; Economic Policy follows Keynesian Economics

Republican

Social Policy is more focused on morality and protecting civil liberties; Economic Policy follows Supply-side economics

Conservatives

people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change

Liberals

people who generally favor government action and view change as progress

Libertarian

A political ideology based on skepticism or opposition toward almost all government activities.

monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply through interest rates.

fiscal policy

A government policy for dealing with the budget (especially with taxation)

supply-side economics

economics that holds cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work

Keynesian economics

economics that encourages government action

The Federal Reserve

the central banking system of the United States that controls monetary policy

Globalization

Interconnected Economy

Lower Trade Barriers

Advances in communications technology

Limited Government

restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

public opinion

the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues

social policies

Public policies related to health care, human services, criminal justice, inequality, education, and labor.

Trust in government in the United States

has declined across all generations since the 1950s

September 11, 2001

An example of a period effect which changed political ideology for the entire country.

Demographics

the characteristics of a population e.g. age, race, and gender.

Multiculturalism

recognizes cultural diversity, promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions

Cultural Assimilation

other cultures are absorbed into the dominant one

partisan

A congressman who votes based on the needs of his political party

Polls: question format

the type of question (multiple choice, true false, agree disagree) can affect the outcome

Generation Z (Gen Z)

people in this group were born into a world that already was full of digital technologies. More liberal on issues, diversity, climate change, and gun control.

Baby Boomers

This generation is the dominate one in Congress today. more conservative on issues such as immigration.

Millenials (Generation Y)

Grew up during the digital revolution and is the largest generation in the U.S. Today. Shares many liberal views with Gen Z.

House Ways an Means Committee

Responsible for Fiscal Policy. The chief tax writing committee in the House of Representatives.